Blog

Jamie Schneider

Digital Strategist for the North American Division.

Facebook LIVE results in baptisms.

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.' (Revelation 14:6-7)

This blog post is going to be very direct and to the point. One of the biggest concerns expressed to me regarding using social media, such as Facebook LIVE, to broadcast evangelist meetings is that “we can’t control who sees the message.” I’ve even heard, “Well, this message isn’t for everyone.”

I agree that some controversial topics, such as homosexuality and internal church conflicts, may not be appropriate for the wider public. But evangelistic series typically do not tackle these divisive topics and instead focus on prophecy and historical evidence, God’s grace and love for all humanity, the cross, salvation, and redemption. These topics are for anyone willing to engage, and we have precious little time remaining to share these messages.

If you’re doing an evangelistic series and are concerned about who sees it, then stop calling it evangelism. Evangelistic messages are for everyone. It’s not for you to decide who should and should not see it. It’s your job to spread the gospel and to reach as many people as possible. That responsibility includes embracing new technologies. You must ask yourself, at what point does my unwillingness to adapt constitute a sin of omission? “We’ve always done it this way!” is not justification to carry on in the same fashion. North America has become the mission field. We must use every resource available to more effectively reach people. We must combine our traditional means of outreach with digital strategies to magnify our impact.

The Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). An easy and free way to reach the nations lies in the palms of our hands. When we hesitate to make the gospel message more available, we allow our own human weaknesses and fears to get in the way of our mission. We live in an era of religious freedom with minimal persecution in North America (in contrast to what is happening in other parts of the world). How can we justify this resistance to boldly declare our faith online? When we act as gatekeepers to the truth, we stand as judge of our brothers and sisters. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)

In our busy and chaotic lives, people cannot always make it to a location for each meeting—especially when evangelistic and prophecy series continue for weeks. But Facebook LIVE allows people to watch from anywhere with an internet connection, anytime it works for their schedule.Often the archived views of previously live videos far exceed the live views.

We know that four times as many people would rather watch a video about something than read about it (Animoto). Right now Facebook's algorithm favors live video, and social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined (Brightcove). Facebook LIVE is a great way to expand the reach of your message to those who may otherwise not be ready or able to come to a church.

We are to work in cooperation with the leading of the Holy Spirit. After we do our part to get the message out, we must trust the Holy Spirit to do its part in leading those ready to listen. In most cases, streamed videos are watched by a self-selected audience. Meaning, if they are not interested, they will likely scroll past it, hide it, or simply ignore it altogether. Content creators cannot be paralyzed by a fear of negative feedback. It is better to do something than limit our sphere of influence to what we can "safely" control.

In the last year, I have worked with several pastors who have chosen to live broadcast their evangelistic or prophecy series. Because of their boldness, individuals who could not consistently (or ever) attend the meetings have come to know Christ and are now baptized members of the church.

As good stewards, we must use every available resource so at the end of the age, when we face our Master, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!...” (Matthew 25:23)

Join me in following the example of the apostles:

Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace… (Acts 14:3)

We’ve been far too concerned for far too long in controlling the message and the conversation. The message is yours, the conversation is theirs. That is the era we live in…and it couldn’t have come soon enough.

We written article, very timely & insightful! The Social Media may be another way of interpreting the 1848 stream of light vision and message of the 1st angel depicted by John in Revelation 14.6-7.

Reply

Fred Rutan

6/21/2017 05:11:25 pm

Who are you to tell people how they need to witness. We are all given spiritual gifts. To some maybe the old way is best. I myself like technology but someone else may not. You come off as sounding like you are spanking those who prefer the tried and true " old " ways.. your attitude is frightening.

Reply

Karen Ronk

6/21/2017 06:44:26 pm

I don't read that attitude. at. all. This is very timely and we need to think outside the old, very old, box and use every means that we have available to us. Thank you Jamie.

Reply

Nancy Gable

6/21/2017 07:44:26 pm

Yes, Fred, we are all given spiritual gifts, and to some the old way probably is best. And by all means, use the old ways. The point of this article, however, is not to throw out the old ways, but rather, to also include the new ways (the tools of online technology) to reach even more people. The author summed it up by saying, "As good stewards, we must use EVERY AVAILABLE (emphasis mine) resource..." That would include both the old and the new ways.

Reply

Walton Whaley

6/22/2017 05:31:27 am

This article is a breath of fresh air for evangelism. As a retired worker after many years of treadmill evangelism in Africa, I take courage that the future is bright with hope that the evèrlasting gospel will indeed be presented with world-class precision through the old and the new.

The message is important, but in-person contact is the primary objective of an evangelistic event. Jesus calls us into fellowship, not just doctrinal belief. My concern is that if people believe they can watch the message online at some other time, then they won't attend the event and will miss out on the important relationship building that comes from being in a shared physical space with other believers.

As a marketer, I never want to give someone an excuse not to participate in the relationship-building experience that is being promoted.

You say that through Facebook Live "individuals who could not consistently (or ever) attend the meetings have come to know Christ and are now baptized members of the church."

I would love to hear more about the specific tactics used to translate Facebook Live views into full engagement in the life of a church.

Reply

Jamie Schneider

6/22/2017 10:36:59 am

Hello Larry,

You bring up a common concern and understandable misconception: "My concern is that if people believe they can watch the message online at some other time, then they won't attend the event and will miss out on the important relationship building that comes from being in a shared physical space with other believers."

It turns out, that live-streaming events actually generates increased interest and results in more people coming into the space for those vital relationship-building experiences. This is why major Opera companies and symphonies now regularly live-stream their concerts for free. They found that live-streaming actually resulted in an increase in awareness and interest. For many viewers it reawakened their love for the arts. As a result of these efforts, attendance has increased as well as charitable giving. We've just started seeing the results of these tactics being implemented in the church, and so far, we are seeing a similar result. It may seen completely counter-intuitive, I understand that. But especially when we're directing our efforts towards the younger demographic, we can use social media to make that first introduction that will start them on a journey into the church. And it appears to be a short trip. Young people expect convenience and an online experience. More and more, they meet new people and forge new relationships online which then translate into real live interactions. This is becoming a new normal.

For the church we must strive to take them from the digital experience to the in-person experience to have maximum impact. To respond to your final comment. It is important to have someone dedicated to member care on a church's or ministry's Facebook page. There was an evangelistic series that was live-broadcasted on Facebook in the last year. Several people watching messaged the church's Facebook page and started a relationship with the Pastor. Some then showed up in person as a result and are now baptized. One case in particular, a gentleman could never attend the meetings because of his work schedule. He watched every single video on Facebook from the archived videos. He messaged the page for more information and then started bible studies with the Pastor during a time that worked for him. He is now a baptized member. So the tactic to translate Facebook Live views into full engagement in the life of the church, is digital member care. Be available, respond in a timely fashion, and begin the process of building a relationship with the individuals who engage with you. These efforts fail when the person reaches out online, and gets no response. I hope this addresses your comment. Let me know if you want more information.